Social media for medical practices

Here’s why medical practices shouldn’t get caught up in social media...

They don’t follow this simple rule:

If you don’t have the time to do social media well, don’t do it at all!

However, there is one exception to this rule:

Google Business Listing

Every medical practice should have a Google business page – More on why later. Social media for medical practices

Here are the 3 areas where most medical practices go wrong:

1. Having social media icons/accounts on your website and not using them

A blank social media page looks unprofessional – It says you don’t care about making the effort to keep your patients informed.

2. Social media for medical practices can easily get out of hand in terms of:

Large potential to waste time – Social media requires time to plan, post and constantly monitor the conversation. Human error – Let’s face it. We’re not all perfect. People can innocently post personal information about themselves, patients or doctors, that may violate privacy laws. Reputation damage – An inappropriate comment, or personal judgement, has the potential to spread like wildfire on social media. Security issues – As with all technology, there’s a chance of being hacked and practice information being accessed.

3. No social media plan and policy in terms of:

Which social media platforms will best suit your practice

Goals and measurement

Calendar of relevant topics to post and discuss

Risk management policy if something does go wrong (how is it handled?)

How to grow your social media following – Likes and followers

Budgeting, resources, costs and time

How to improve your social media strategy and tactics.

Why is a Google Business Listing a must for all medical practices?

Here’s how Google Business Listing could benefit your medical practice:

Social media for medical practices

1. A Google Business Page allows people to find you directly whether they’re looking for you on:

| Google’s search engine

| Google Maps

| The advantages – A Google Business Listing allows you update your business information across Google’s vast search network in one area.

2. Google business listing allows you to:

| Tell people a little more about your business/practice

| Highlight your location and contact details

| Display your opening hours

| Link to your website

| Direct people to your location

| Review your services

| You can create a post

| Add photos

The biggest advantages of this approach is ensuring your practice appears in search results across desktop and mobile devices and showing up early in the patients search journey if done well = More patients for your practice.

For the avid user, a Google Business Listing to a certain extent allows you to share updates, see insights, read reviews, and manage some social interactions patients are having with your practice.

3. Google is the worlds biggest search platform

80-90% of online searches are done on Google in Australia

4. Google search incorporates local search factors

If you have a Google Business Listing and your competitors don’t, you have a better chance of being found online

Any Search Engine Optimisation strategy that does not include an accurate Google Business Page is flawed (your losing potential new patients).

5. Everything you post on your Google Business page is indexed by Google.

The content you post to your Google business page ranks in search results even if your website doesn’t.

All of my articles, including this one are indexed and available to be found on Google’s search engine.

social-media-for-medical-practices6. Google comes up with a list of local search results every time you do a search for a product or service.

See my business just below the map – Medical Website Solutions

This may mean up to 30% more traffic to your website (depending on which study you read).

7. This is the biggest benefit.

You don’t have to be super active on your Google Business Listing to reap the benefits.

Yes, like all social media platforms it needs to be monitored. But you don’t need to post regularly like you do on facebook and twitter.

If you become an avid user there are many benefits of a Google Business Listing you can access all in the one area including:

Hangouts

Communities

YouTube

Google Search

Gmail

Google Maps and many others.

Each is created to benefit and optimize your marketing strategy to help promote your business/practice.

The bottom line – If you don’t have a Google Business Listing yet, it’s time to get moving!

For any help with setting all of these up contact us.